Tennis...how to play..

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Tennis court
The dimensions of a tennis court, in metric units. (See imperial
version).Tennis is played on a rectangular, flat surface, usually
grass, clay, or a hardcourt of concrete and/or asphalt. The court is
78 feet (23.77 m) long, and its width is 27 feet (8.23 m) for singles
matches and 36 ft (10.97 m) for doubles matches.[21] Additional clear
space around the court is required in order for players to reach
overrun balls. A net is stretched across the full width of the court,
parallel with the baselines, dividing it into two equal ends. The net
is 3 feet 6 inches (1.07 m) high at the posts and 3 feet (914 mm) high
in the center.[21]

Lines
The lines that delineate the width of the court are called the
baseline (furthest back) and the service line (middle of the court).
The short mark in the center of each baseline is referred to as either
the hash mark or the center mark. The outermost lines that make up the
length are both called the doubles sideline. These are the boundaries
used when doubles is being played. The area between the doubles
sideline and the lines next to them is called the doubles alley, which
is considered playable in doubles play. These lines next to the
doubles sideline are the singles sidelines, and used as boundaries in
singles play. The line that runs across the center of a player's side
of the court is called the service line because the serve must be
delivered into the area between the service line and the net on the
receiving side. Despite its name, this is not where a player legally
stands when making a serve. The line dividing the service line in two
is called the center line or center service line. The boxes this
center line creates are called the service boxes; depending on a
player's position, he will have to hit the ball into one of these when
serving. A ball is out only if none of it has hit the line upon its
first bounce. All the lines are required to be 2 inches (51 mm) in
width. The baseline can be up to 5 inches (130 mm) wide if so desired.

Types of courts
There are three main types of court surfaces. Depending on the
materials used, each surface provides a difference in the speed and
bounce of the ball, which in turn can affect the level of play of
individual players. The three most common surfaces are:

Clay - red clay (used at the French Open), green clay (an example of
which is Har-Tru and used mainly in the U.S.)
Hard - examples are concrete, Plexicushion (used at the Australian
Open), coated asphalt (used at the U.S. Open)
Grass - used at Wimbledon
Indoor courts are also used so play can continue year-round. Common
indoor surfaces are hard, carpet, and clay. Some players are more
successful on certain surfaces and are known as "specialists" for that
particular court.

Clay courts are considered "slow" because the loose surface causes the
ball to lose speed rapidly and bounce higher. This makes it more
difficult for a player to hit an unreturnable shot (a "winner")
because the opponent has more time to reach and return the ball. Line
calls are easily reviewable on this type of court because the ball
generally leaves a visible mark. Courts are swept between sets, and at
the end of every match, to erase any marks from the previous set or
match.

Hardcourts are generally considered to be faster than clay courts.
There are many different types of hardcourts, and, dependent on the
construction of the court, can be relatively slow or fast. A fast
hardcourt is characterised by low bounces, where fast-serving and hard-
hitting players hold an advantage.

Grass is a fast surface and was the surface used at three of the Grand
Slam tournaments until the Australian Open and the U.S. Open changed
to hardcourts. Grass courts cause low ball bounces, which keep rallies
short and gives hard-serving and hard-hitting players an advantage.
This type of court also features unpredictable ball bounces, depending
on the health of the grass, how "beat-up" the grass may be from lots
of matches played on a court, and how recently it has been mown. For
that reason, a volley from close to the net is a particularly
appropriate shot on a grass court.

Professional players wear very different shoes for the three surfaces.
Grass-court shoes are designed to grip the surface and prevent
sliding. On a clay court, by contrast, sliding is an accepted and
beneficial part of footwork skill. There is also a less common surface
that is called "carpet". These are mainly indoor courts and are
rubbery and hard, like hardcourts.

Play of a single point
The players (or teams) start on opposite sides of the net. One player
is designated the server, and the opposing player, or in doubles one
of the opposing players, is the receiver. Service alternates between
the two halves of the court. For each point, the server starts behind
his baseline, between the center mark and the sideline. The receiver
may start anywhere on their side of the net. When the receiver is
ready, the server will serve, although the receiver must play to the
pace of the server.

In a legal service, the ball travels over the net (without touching
it) and into the diagonally opposite service box. If the ball hits the
net but lands in the service box, this is a let service, which is
void, and the server gets to retake that serve. The player can serve
any number of let services in a point and they are always treated as
voids and not as faults. Let services are somewhat unusual at
recreational level and frequent at professional level. However,
placing more than one let service in a single point takes a
considerable amount of skill or luck. If the first service is
otherwise faulty in any way, wide, long or not over the net, the
serving player has a second attempt at service. There is also a "foot
fault," which occurs when a player's foot touches the baseline or an
extension of the center mark[22] before the ball is hit. If the second
service is also faulty, this is a double fault, and the receiver wins
the point. However, if the serve is in, it is considered a legal
service.

A legal service starts a rally, in which the players alternate hitting
the ball across the net. A legal return consists of the player or team
hitting the ball exactly once before it has bounced twice or hit any
fixtures except the net, provided that it still falls in the server's
court. The ball then travels back over the net and bounces in the
court on the opposite side. The first player or team to fail to make a
legal return loses the point.

Scoring
Main article: Tennis score
A tennis match comprises a number of sets, typically three for both
men's and women's matches, the exception being at the major events
(Wimbledon and the Australian, French and US Opens) where the men play
best of five sets.[23] A set consists of a number of games, and games,
in turn, consist of points.

A game consists of a sequence of points played with the same player
serving, and is won by the first player to have won at least four
points and at least two points more than his opponent. The running
score of each game is described in a manner particular to tennis:
scores of zero to three points are described as "love" (or zero),
"fifteen," "thirty," and "forty" respectively. When at least three
points have been scored by each side and the players have the same
number of points, the score is "deuce." When at least three points
have been scored by each side and a player has one more point than his
opponent, the score of the game is "advantage" for the player in the
lead. During informal games, "advantage" can also be called "ad in" or
"ad out", depending on whether the serving player or receiving player
is ahead, respectively. In tournament play, the chair umpire calls the
point count (e.g., "fifteen-love") after each point. At the end of a
game, the chair umpire also announces the winner of the game and the
overall score.

A game point occurs in tennis whenever the player who is in the lead
in the game needs only one more point to win the game. The terminology
is extended to sets (set point), matches (match point), and even
championships (championship point). For example, if the player who is
serving has a score of 40-love, he has a triple game point (triple set
point, etc.). Game points, set points, and match points are not part
of official scoring and are not announced by the chair umpire in
tournament play.

A break point occurs if the receiver, not the server, has a game
point. It is of importance in professional tennis, since service
breaks are rare enough to create a substantial advantage for the
receiver in the men's game. The advantage to the server is much less
in the women's game, but match analysts like to keep track of service
breaks anyway. It may happen that the player who is in the lead in the
game has more than one chance to score the winning point, even if his
opponent should take the next point(s). For example, if the player who
is serving has a score of 15-40, the receiver has a double break
point. If the player in the lead wins any of the next two points, that
player wins the game. Break points are not announced either.

A set consists of a sequence of games played with service alternating
between games, ending when the count of games won meets certain
criteria. Typically, a player wins a set when he wins at least six
games and at least two games more than his opponent. When each player
has won six games a tiebreaker is played. A tiebreaker, played under a
separate set of rules, allows one player to win one more game and thus
the set, to give a final set score of 7-6. Only in the final sets of
matches at the Australian Open, the French Open, Wimbledon, Davis Cup,
and Fed Cup are tie-breaks not played. A "love" set means that the
loser of the set won zero games. For example if the score was 6 to 0,
it would be 6 love. (See "tennis terminology" below for names given to
unusual endings like the example here.) In tournament play, the chair
umpire announces the winner of the set and the overall score.

Matches consist of an odd number of sets, the match winner being the
player who wins more than half of the sets. The match ends as soon as
this winning condition is met. Some matches may consist of five sets
(the winner being the first to win three sets), while most matches are
three sets (the winner being the first to win two sets). In tournament
play, the chair umpire announces the end of the match with the well-
known phrase "Game, set, match" followed by the winning team's name.

Rules variations



No-ad: The first player or doubles team to four points wins the game.
One side does not have to win by two points. When the game score
reaches three points each, the receiver chooses which side of the
court (advantage court or deuce court) the service is to be delivered
on the seventh and game-deciding point.
Pro set: Instead of playing multiple sets, players may play one "pro
set". A pro set is first to 8 (or 10) games by a margin of two games,
instead of first to 6. A 12-point tiebreaker is usually played when
the score is 8-8 (or 10-10). These are often played with no-ad
scoring.

Match tie-break: This is sometimes played instead of a third set. This
is played like a regular tie-break, but the winner must win ten points
instead of seven. Match tie-breaks are used on the ATP and WTA tours
for doubles and as a player's choice in USTA league play.

Another, however informal, tennis format is called "Kiwi doubles",
"Canadian doubles" or "cut-throat"[2]. This involves three players,
with one person playing a doubles team. The single player gets to
utilize the alleys normally reserved only for a doubles team.
Conversely, the doubles team does *not* use the alleys when executing
a shot. The scoring is the same as a regular game. This format is not
sanctioned by any official body and is only played when a fourth
player is not available for normal doubles.
"Australian doubles," another informal and unsanctioned form of
tennis, is played with similar rules to the "Kiwi" style, only in this
version, players rotate court position after each game. As such, each
player plays doubles and singles over the course of a match, with the
singles player always serving. Scoring styles vary, but one popular
method is to assign a value of 2 points to each game, with the server
taking both points if he or she holds serve, and the doubles team each
taking one if they break.

Wheelchair tennis can be played by able-bodied players as well as
people who require a wheelchair for mobility. An extra bounce is
permitted. This rule makes it possible to have mixed wheelchair and
able-bodied matches. It is possible for a doubles team to consist of a
wheelchair player and an able-bodied player (referred to as "one-up,
one-down"), or for a

wheelchair player to play against an able-bodied player. In such
cases, the extra bounce is permitted for the wheelchair users only.

Play of a single point
The players (or teams) stand on opposite sides of the net. One player
is designated the server, and the opposing player, or in doubles one
of the opposing players, is the receiver. Serve alternates between the
two halves of the court.

At the start of each point, the server stands behind his baseline,
between the center mark and the sideline. The receiver may stand
anywhere on his side of the net, usually behind the diagonally
opposite service box.

A legal service starts a rally, in which the players alternate hitting
the ball across the net. A legal return consists of the player or team
hitting the ball exactly once before it has bounced twice or hit any
fixtures. It then travels back over the net and bounces in the court
on the opposite side. It can sometimes be difficult to see an illegal
double bounce, when the racquet and the ground contact the ball almost
simultaneously. An umpire's call of "not up" indicates a judgement
that the ball hit the ground first and therefore the return is not
legal. The first player or team to fail to make a legal return loses
the point.

If a player hits the ball before it has bounced at all on his side of
the net, the preceding return from his opponent is legal despite the
ball not having bounced. Touching the net, hitting the ball before it
has passed the net, touching the ball with anything other than the
racquet, deliberately hitting the ball twice[1], and various other
transgressions result in losing the point. In doubles, after the
service and initial return either player may make any return; it is
not permitted for both players on a team to hit the ball in the same
return.

Because the lines are drawn just inside the courts, the ball is
considered "in" if it touches any part of the relevant line. On clay
courts the ball leaves an impression in the ground that can be
checked; on grass courts a puff of chalk from the line indicates
contact from the ball. This is less accurate, however, because dirt
from the grass court resembles the chalk and can also be thrown up
after being struck with a ball.

In an unumpired game, the players are to give each other the benefit
of the doubt on line calls. In an umpired game it is the umpire or
line umpire's duty to call the ball "out". The umpire may overrule a
line umpire's call.

Instant replay
Computer-assisted video tracking technology has improved to the point
that it can determine the position of a ball at impact with a 5-
millimeter margin of error [1]. Accordingly, starting with the
NASDAQ-100 Open in March 2005, most top-level tournaments allow
systems such as Hawk-Eye to be used to settle disputed line calls.


Players are allowed to appeal to Hawk-Eye on disputed calls with a
limitation: They lose the privilege if the appeal goes against them
twice per set, with one more challenge allowed during a tie-breaker.

In the NASDAQ-100 Open, challenges by men were upheld 38% compared to
27% for women (skewed by Maria Sharapova, who went 0 for 11). As
players and umpires become more accustomed to the system, successful
challenges are approaching 50%.

Alternate Rules
Rules of play used in American college tennis
As of 1999, in Division I tennis in the NCAA, a let service is
considered playable. This rule change was made to prevent receivers
from falsely claiming a valid service to be a let, which is a call
that cannot be overruled. Thus, a service that hits the net before
landing in the service box is a playable shot, and must be returned by
the receiver. Otherwise, the receiver loses the point.

Rules of play used in American high school tennis
During high school tennis team matches players may have to follow a
few different rules:

Pro set: Instead of playing best out of three sets, players may play
one pro set. A pro set is first to 8 games instead of 6. All other
rules apply.
Super tie-break: This is played sometimes after players split sets
(Each wins one set). It decides who wins instead of a third set. This
is played like a regular tie-break but the winner must attain ten
points instead of seven.
No-ad: The players play through the match without any ads. When the
game is at deuce the receiving player has the option to choose what
side of court (either the deuce side or the ad side) they want to
receive the serve for the final game-deciding point. The first player
or doubles team to four points wins the game.

Footnotes
^ This is a rare event, but Kim Clijsters lost a point this way in the
semi-final of the 2006 French Open. Attempting to smash a lob from
Justine Henin-Hardenne, Clijsters tipped the ball, then ran around it
and returned it. She went on to lose the game and the match.

Types of tennis match
Traditionally, tennis is played between two people in a Singles match,
or four players in a Doubles match. However, popular variations
allowing play between three players (of which two or three are on the
court at any one time) have emerged.

Singles
in tennis is the body of competition that features individual players
competing one-on-one. There are separate singles competitions for men
and women. The singles competition exists in counterdistinction to
doubles.
Doubles
one team of two players on each side (four players in total). In this
version, gender doesn't matter. Doubles utilizes a wider court than
singles matches.
Mixed doubles
similar to the doubles game, but this version requires one man and one
woman to be a team.
American doubles
(from the UK) is generally used in training, and plays one player
(playing with a singles court layout) versus two players (playing with
a doubles court layout). Often the court rotates game by game taking
it in turns to play on your own.
Jordache tennis
is a game played between three players. A normal tennis game takes
place between two of the three contestants. Players are awarded 5
points for a game win and the loser is awarded points based on the
score achieved: 3 for deuce, 2 for 30 and 1 for 15. The winner remains
in. The player replacing the loser gets to choose who serves. The
first to 50 wins. Scoring is calculated continuously, so if a player
is currently on 49 points at the start of a game they only have to win
one point for the game to end. There is a variation invented in 2005,
called "mini-Jordache", where the winner is the first to 25.
Wheelchair tennis
has the same thing as both singles and doubles, however, the ball may
bounce twice before hitting it, the second bounce may even be outside
the field.
Australian Doubles
is played when one player is significantly better than 2 others. Two
players on one side hitting into the singles court while the better
player is alone hitting into the doubles court.